Electric regulator.



W. H. CLARKE 6; 0. A. ROSS.

ELECTRIC REGULATOR.

APPLIOAIION FILED P123. 0, 1002. nnzwnn IAI. 10, 1003.

1,074,773, Patented Oct. 7, 1913.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. CLARKE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AND OSCAR A. ROSS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

ASSIGNORS, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC REGULATOR.

Application tiled February 6, 1902,

To all whom it may concern; I

Be it known that we, WILLIAM H. Cmnxn and OSCAR A. Ross, citizens of the United States, residing at the city of New York,

in the borough of Brooklyn and State of New York, and at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of ,IlllIlOiS, respectively, have invented certainnew and provements in Electric Regulators, the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to overnors for electric mechanism of that c ass in Wind! the current strength is changed by introducin an adjustable resistance into an varying the same automatically according to the necessities of the case, as hereinafter described.

While the form of regulator herewith set forth is applicable to a large variety of service in which electric currents are utilized, it is especially. adapted to maintaining a uniform voltage across the lamps of electric railway cars, the great variation in which, as is well known to those engaged in the service, causes much inconvenience to the occupants of the car, shortens the life of the lamps and further often renders almostuseless any type of electric headlight depending on the line current for its 0 eration. We therefore elect to describe its nctions performed in connection with such a headli ht.

The invention is fully set forth in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of my invention, and Fig. 2 a modification thereof.

A represents a sectional vertically mounted solenoid composed of a number of independently wound wire coils a. to a inclusive, having their adjacent terminals connected at 0. Each of these connecting wires}; is electrically connected with the commutator bars 1 to 9 inclusive.

The armature of solenoid at a. and is connected by rod F withbrushes D and E, which are arranged to straddle a number of the commutator bars.

It is a rheostat, the contact points of which are traversed by the right side of brush E. Both the brushes are secured to rod F and move with armature a. The left Specification of Letters Patent. Serial No. 82,918. kenewed January 10, 1908. Serial No. 188,528.

useful Imof which the circuit entering at A is represented Patented Oct. 7,1913.

side of brush E traverses the commutator bars 1-9 and hence.connects the same in series with-rheostat coils R. The line connections, orlead wires, L are indicated by the usualsigns and the positive wire bein connected with the lower coil of rheostat The lamp K is of the common are -.type, having its positive electrode operated in the usual manner by solenoid B connected in series with the lamp, and to the brush E by flexible conductor (1. The brush D and the negative electrode of lamp K are connected to the line wire by flexible wire k. The operation is as follows: The line current L passes to the first coil of rheostat and thence to brush E, where it divides. part passing through commutator wire '1 to section a of solenoid A, thence through the connecting wires to and through sections a and a; and as brush D is on commutator bar 4, it will be seen that the current will return to said brush by connecting 'w'ire between sections 3 and 4 and wire to contact 4. It will then pass out by flexible wire k and L as shown. The other portion of'the current divided at brush E, as described, is shunted through solenoid B and lamp K and out at L as shown.

In the practice of our invention, the weight of aymature a, rod F and brushes D and E, is intended line voltage is normal, the magnetic lifting power of the three sections a, an and a then energized, will maintain the said parts in the upper extreme stroke, for it will be seen that in said position, brush E will be on the upper contact of rheostat R and its total resistance will be then in series with both the three upper sections of solenoid A, and lamp K through flexible 'wire (I. Should the line voltage now fall, the sustaining power of said energized sections will be lessened and armature a will move down, carrying the brushes with it and successively energizing the next lower sections, until a point is reached where, by the cutting out of a suflicient number of the coils of rheostat B, through the downward movement of brush E, said energized sections exert a suflicient magnetic force to again balance the weight of armature, rod and brushes, at which point the descent of said )arts will be checked. It will also be seen tliat the portion of the to be such that when the.

current shunted through wire (Z to the l mp will be varied in strength by this operation; and hence, the voltage maintained across the lamp tern nais and across the energized zone of r: 1 A directl dependent on the srnmture l connections. :reiorc evident that n is only 'ieccsvary weight according to the l to be maintained on the lamp n the regulator described will retain such \oltage, irrespec- 4 l ne variations. The res 'ionse of iii-hm" to variations of line voltage will be speedy to such an extent that the candle power oi the lamp K will remain almost nor mal. regardless of changes of the line volt a e The incandescent lamps usually con- :l in series across the mains of electric rnilm-iys, to illuminate the interior of the curs, may also be maintained at a practically tcmly candle power by means of this i1nproted regulating device, with very desirable results, unnecessary to enumerate here.

The modification shown in Fig. 2, consists in put-ting the rheostnt, the solenoid in ms and the lamp in series with the line, thus melting it possible to use larger wire in the solenoiu, which is a cheaper construction than the fine Wire. used in the parallel arran' nent previously described.

tuner-ally speaking, this device is adapted any form of electric practice where itis ed to maintain a steady voltage between terminals, automatically counteracting current ini iations due to any cause What-ever. will be noted that there is here provided a lllili-itiillly responsive to variations in the voltage of the circuit and that the circuit varying device also acts upon the circuit of the device which actuates it. be that this circuit varying device acts rim ltaneously upon the circuit of the controlling device therefor and upon a resistonce which modifies the current passing through said controlling device.

Having described. our invention, we claim 1. lo an automatic regulator, a plurality ,ouit controlling device which is auto.

It will further of terminals, a resistance connected to one of the terminals and comprising a series of sections, contact plates connected to the sec-- tions, a shifting zone sectional solenoid, commutator bars connected to the sections of said solenoid, an armature for the solenoid. a brush secured to the armature and connecting the solenoid with another terminal, and a second brush secured to the armature and traversing said commutator bars and contact plates. the parts arranged to vary the sections of the solenoid in circuit, substantially as described.

2. An electric regulator consisting of the combination of a sectional solenoid having a core controlled thereby, a series of commutator bars forming the terminals of the sections of the solenoid, a pair of brushes carried by the aforesaid core and contacting with the said commutator bars and spaced apart so as to include a desired number of the same, a rhecstat, and a main circuit, oiie terminal of which is connected with one brush and the other through the rheostat to the other brush.

3. A regulating device comprising a sec tional solenoid having a series of conductors leading from the various sections to a series of contacts, a second series of contacts with resistances connected between them, a controlling electric circuit for said solenoid in which said contacts are adapted to be connected, a core controlled by the said sectional solenoid, a circuit varying device adapted to cooperate with said contacts and connected with the said core whereby resistance is cut into and out of the circuit responsive to variations of the current therein, the sections of said solenoid in circuit being varied as the circuit. varying device moves along said contacts.

' In Witness whereof, We subscribe our signatures, in presence of two witnesses.

l' ILLIAM H. CLARKE. OSCAR A. ROSS.

C. VILAS, Jr.,

lVitnesses ROYAL JAMES G. HENSHAW.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five Cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). C." 

